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Home » Recipes » Lentil & Beans

Instant Pot Chana Dal

Published: Aug 19, 2020 · Modified: Jun 22, 2022 by Bhavana Patil ·This post may contain affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

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Chana Dal is an easy Indian recipe prepared with chana dal lentils (also known as split chickpeas or Bengal gram), assorted spices cooked in an Instant pot pressure cooker, or a traditional Indian pressure cooker for under 30 minutes. Vegan, Gluten-free.

chana dal served in a bowl with tempering on top with side a rice

What is Dal?

Dal, also called Daal, Dhal, or Dahl, are basically dried pulses that can be whole or split.

Chana dal (also known as split chickpeas or Bengal gram) is a very popular and healthy legume frequently cooked in almost every Indian household. This is because Chana dal has a great source of plant protein, iron, folate, fiber, gluten-free, and diabetic-friendly since it has a low glycemic index of around 8.

Try my other Chana dal recipes like lauki chana dal and chana dal payasam from my blog.

Today, we are making an easy North Indian style Chana Dal with an extra ghee tadka which adds all the magic. It gets ready in under 30 minutes and is perfect for weekday meals.

You can follow the same chana dal fry recipe with Red lentils (also known as Masoor Dal). I have shared both Instant Pot Pressure Cooker and Traditional Stovetop recipe below.

instant pot chana dal serve din a black bowl with lemon wedges on the side

Chana Dal Ingredients

Chana Dal: Soak chana dal for at least 15-20 minutes to 2 hours to reduce the cooking time.

Green chilies: I have used two green Thai chilies.

Ginger: I have used minced ginger and garlic.

Onion: I have used finely chopped onions. You can prefer to skip it if you are making chana dal recipe without onion and garlic.

Tomatoes: I have used Roma tomatoes.

Oil: Use any cooking oil.

Dry spices: I have used cumin seeds, turmeric powder, red chili powder, coriander powder. You can increase or decrease the spices according to your choice.

Lime Juice: use freshly squeezed lime juice.

Coriander leaves: I have used coriander leaves for garnish.

How to Make Chana Dal in Instant Pot

Soak the chana dal in hot water for 15-20 minutes.

Press SAUTE on Instant Pot. Add oil, and once it's hot, add cumin seeds. Let them crackle.

step to saute cumin seeds collage

Add minced ginger garlic, green chili, and onions. Saute till onions turn light brown.

step to saute onion ginger garlic collage

Next, add tomatoes, dry spices like turmeric powder, red chili powder, coriander powder, garam masala, salt, and cook till tomatoes turn soft, which takes 2-3 minutes.

step to cook tomatoes with spices collage

Then add soaked lentils, water and give a stir. Adjust spices at this stage. Also, deglaze the pot, i.e., make sure there is no food particle sticking to the pot to avoid burn alerts.

step to add chana dal and water collage

Close the lid on the pot and turn the pressure valve to the SEALING position.

Set the pot to 'MANUAL/PRESSURE COOK' (High Pressure) and the timer to 12 minutes.

Once the pot beeps, let it release the pressure naturally (NPR) for 10 minutes.

Lastly, squeeze some lime juice and garnish with coriander leaves (cilantro). Mix well. Add ½ cup of water to adjust the dal consistency if required.

chana dal in the instant pot insert with a spoon garnished with cilantro

Instant Pot Chana Dal curry, also known as Bengal gram dal or split chickpeas lentils, is ready. You can also add extra tempering (tadka) and serve hot with steamed rice, quinoa, or roti.

Note on the consistency:

If one wants soft mashed dal, 14-15 minutes manual/pressure cook (High Pressure) is probably the ideal setting in manual mode.

But I like lentils to be a little firm, so I usually cook for 12 minutes Manual/Pressure Cook (High Pressure).

instant pot chana dal recipe

Stovetop Pressure Cooker Method

Follow the same steps from the instant pot instructions. Give 3-4 whistles on medium flame and let the pressure release naturally. All the other steps remain the same.

Stovetop Pot Method

Just soak the chana dal for 3-4 hours and then boil it in a large pot for 25-30 minutes or until soft. After the lentils are cooked, prepare the tempering. Then saute onion-tomato-ginger-garlic paste and then assemble the dal. 

Serving Suggestions

Serve Chana Dal Fry with roti, chapati, jeera rice, or basmati rice. I like eating it with steamed rice or serving it as a Split Chickpeas Soup.

FAQs

How to store cooked chana dal?

Chana dal tadka is excellent for meal planning, can be refrigerated for 3-4 days, and freezes well up to a month when stored in freezer-safe bags.

Tips & Variations

  1. Don’t skip out on soaking the chana dal for at least 15-20 minutes – Chana dal takes a longer time to cook. Soaking softens the lentils and cooks faster.
  2. If dal has more liquid, then you can boil it for a few minutes and vaporize the water.
  3. You can also add bottle gourd, zucchini, or pumpkin to this dal.
  4. For a variation, you can also make this dal by skipping onion, ginger, and tomatoes.
  5. Vegan Variation: Skip ghee and use the oil of your choice.

More Lentils/Bean Recipes

  • Dal Tadka - Dal cooked with toor dal (yellow lentils).
  • Green Lentil Soup – lentil soup made with green lentils, carrots, celery, red bell pepper, and Indian spices.
  • Spinach Dal / Palak Dal – Dhal cooked with spinach leaves.
  • Whole green moong dal– Dal cooked with whole mung beans.
  • Panchmel dal – dal prepared with five varieties of lentils.
  • Spinach Dal / Palak Dal – Dhal cooked with spinach leaves.
  • Raw Mango Dal – Dal cooked with Raw Mango.
Tried this recipe?Don’t forget to give a ★ rating below

Instant Pot Chana dal Recipe (Split Chickpeas Soup)

Bhavana Patil
Chana Dal is an easy Indian lentil recipe prepared with Chana Dal, assorted spices cooked in Instant pot pressure cooker or traditional Indian pressure cooker under 30 minutes.
5 from 4 votes
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Servings: 4
Calories : 195
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: Indian
Diet: Gluten-Free, Vegan, Vegetarian
Method: Instant Pot/Pressure Cooker, Stovetop
Prep Time : 10 minutes
Cook Time : 20 minutes
Total Time : 30 minutes

Equipment

  • Instant Pot/Pressure Cooker
  • Stovetop Pressure Cooker

Ingredients
  

Measuring cup used 1 cup = 250 ml

  • 1 cup chana dal (bengal gram) soaked in hot water for 15-20 minutes
  • 1 small onion finely chopped
  • 1 large tomato finely chopped
  • 1 tablespoon ginger garlic minced
  • 1 green chili slit lengthwise
  • 2 cups water for cooking
  • 2 tablespoons oil (or ghee)
  • 2 tablespoons coriander leaves
  • juice of half lime
  • salt to taste

Spices:

  • 1 teaspoon cumin (jeera) seeds
  • ½ teaspoon turmeric powder
  • ½ teaspoon red chilli powder
  • 1 teaspoon coriander powder
  • ½ teaspoon garam masala

Extra Tempering (Optional)

  • 1 teaspoon ghee
  • ½ teaspoon cumin (jeera) seeds
  • ¼ teaspoon red chili powder
  • a pinch asafetida (hing)

Instructions
 

Instant Pot Method:

  • Soak the chana dal in hot water for 15-20 minutes.
  • Press SAUTE on Instant Pot. Add oil, and once it's hot, add cumin seeds. Let them crackle.
    step to saute cumin seeds collage
  • Add minced ginger-garlic, green chili, and onions. Saute till onions turn light brown.
    step to saute onion ginger garlic collage
  • Next, add tomatoes, dry spices like turmeric powder, red chili powder, coriander powder, garam masala, salt, and cook till tomatoes turn soft, which takes 2-3 minutes.
    step to cook tomatoes with spices collage
  • Then add soaked lentils, water and give a stir. Adjust spices at this stage. Also, deglaze the pot, i.e., make sure there is no food particle sticking to the pot to avoid burn alerts.
    step to add chana dal and water collage
  • Close the Instant Pot with pressure valve to Sealing. Cook on High Pressure for 12 minutes.
  • Once the pot beeps, let it release the pressure naturally (NPR) for 10 minutes.
  • Squeeze some lime juice and garnish with coriander leaves (cilantro). Mix well. Add ½ cup of water to adjust the dal consistency if required.
    chana dal in the instant pot insert with a spoon garnished with cilantro
  • Instant Pot Chana Dal is ready, you can also add extra tempering (tadka) and serve hot with boiled rice, quinoa or roti.

Stovetop Pressure Cooker Method:

  • Follow the same steps from the instant pot instructions. Give 3-4 whistles on medium flame and let the pressure release naturally. All the other steps remain the same.

Stovetop Pot Method

  • Just soak the chana dal for 3-4 hours and then boil it in a large pot for 25-30 minutes or until soft.
    After the lentils are cooked, prepare the tempering. Then saute onion-tomato-ginger-garlic paste and then assemble the dal. 

Notes

I have prepared this dish in my electric pressure cooker, Instant Pot DUO60 6 QT.

Tips & Variations:

  1. Don’t skip out on soaking the chana dal for at least 15-20 minutes – Chana dal takes a longer time to cook. Soaking softens the lentils and cooks faster.
  2. If dal has more liquid, then you can boil it for few minutes and vaporize the water.
  3. You can also add bottle gourd, zucchini, or pumpkin to this dal.
  4. For a variation, you can also make this dal by skipping onion, ginger, and tomatoes.
  5. Vegan Variation: Skip ghee and use the oil of your choice.
 
Note: Nutrition values are my best estimates. If you rely on them for your diet, use your preferred nutrition calculator.

Nutrition

Calories: 195kcalCarbohydrates: 27gProtein: 6gFat: 7gSaturated Fat: 1gSodium: 476mgPotassium: 89mgFiber: 10gSugar: 2gVitamin A: 208IUVitamin C: 6mgCalcium: 80mgIron: 2mg
Keyword chana dal, healthy, instant pot lentils
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